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Death Toll in Haiti Rises to 478 in Wake of Hurricane Matthew

As the east coast of Florida braces for Hurricane Matthew to pass, the people of Haiti are assessing the toll the hurricane has already taken on their country. After the worst storm in more than 50 years ripped through the island nation, Reuters has reported at least 478 have died.

A country all too familiar with natural disasters now faces picking up the pieces again. Some cities like Jérémie saw 80 percent of buildings levelled. According to The New York Times,

Enzo di Taranto, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Haiti, said there would “be a severe impact on the environment, agriculture and water systems.”

“Schools, hospitals and police stations, everything that was there when the hurricane hit was in some way damaged, because of the strengths of the wind,” Mr. di Taranto said.

The government postponed the presidential election, previously scheduled for Oct. 9.

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